1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a print control device, a printing system, and a control method of a print control device capable of routing print commands when an error occurs on a printer to a different printer.
2. Related Art
Related technology is described in JP-A-H6-35927. More specifically, JP-A-H6-35927 describes an order data management device that sends output data based on a customer order to a connected kitchen printer, and controls redirecting the order data to a different kitchen printer when an error occurs on the kitchen printer to which the order data was sent. JP-A-H6-35927 also describes the order data management device adding the name of the kitchen printer where the error occurred to the output data when redirecting the print data. By adding the name of the kitchen printer in an error state, kitchen staff reading the order ticket (printout) can know the work station from which the data was rerouted and take appropriate action, such as taking the order ticket to that station.
However, even if kitchen staff can determine the work station from which data was redirected, the technology in JP-A-H6-35927 does not enable determining why the data was redirected. More specifically, determining whether the cause of the error is a connection problem or a no-paper error, for example, is difficult. Resolving the error is therefore time-consuming, and reduces productivity.
Furthermore, when a kitchen printer is installed at each work station, such as the deep fryer, grill, and stove, related technologies such as described in JP-A-H6-35927 redirect print data along fixed routes, such as rerouting print data to the grill printer when an error occurs with the printer at the frying station.
Depending on the menu, however, print data intended for the kitchen printer at the fryer station, for example, may be better redirected to the kitchen printer at the grill, or better redirected to the kitchen printer at the stove. For example, if a set menu including items prepared at the fryer and at the stove is ordered, and an error occurs with the kitchen printer for the fryer, redirecting print data for the fryer to the kitchen printer for the stove instead of to the kitchen printer for the grill, which is not involved with preparing the set menu items, may improve overall productivity by allowing the kitchen staff to adjust the finish time for the dishes amongst themselves.
Furthermore, redirecting print data only to a specific kitchen printer increases the processing load on that printer, and increases the work load on the kitchen staff at that station because they must deliver the redirected order tickets to the other work stations.
Some kitchen printers discharge order tickets from the front, and some discharge printouts from the top. Other kitchen printers enable discharging printouts from the top or from the front by changing the orientation of the printer. For example, if as shown in FIG. 15 (a) order tickets are discharged from the bottom end of the ticket from a front discharge printer that discharges the order tickets from the front, the tickets are discharged in the normal upright orientation and can be easily read by the kitchen staff from the front of the printer (arrow A1). Likewise, if as shown in FIG. 15 (b) order tickets are discharged from the top end of the ticket from a top discharge printer that discharges the order tickets from the top, the tickets are discharged in the normal upright orientation and can be easily read by the kitchen staff from the top front of the printer (arrow A2).
The direction of printing by some kitchen printers that are currently in use can therefore be changed by the application that generates the print data for order tickets. However, when redirection is controlled as described in JP-A-H6-35927, and additional print data, such as the name of the kitchen printer where there is an error, is added to the print data for the order ticket (referred to below as as the “main print data”), the main print data and the additional print data may not be printed in the same direction. Depending on the location of the kitchen staff to the printer or the application of the printer, the main print data and the additional print data may also be desirably printed in opposite directions. Technology for changing the printing format, such as the printing direction, of the additional print data has yet to be proposed, however.